#IF THIS THEN THAT is an exhibition that reflects on its possibilities (1). The title alludes to programming languages. Translated in Pascal, if-this-then-that becomes if-then-else and means to generate a chain reaction: if A is true, then B follows or else C. If-then-else stands for a causal binary that runs in loops until a certain condition is met. The process conjures up the operation of a Rube Goldberg machine, aptly called a What-happens-then (2) machine in German.In their 1987 film titled The way things go, Fischli & Weiss (3) indulge in the seriality of a What-happens-then machine.

#IF THIS THEN THAT is an exhibition conceived as a What-happens-then machine. And what happens then, once an exhibition gives into the way things go?

#IF THIS THEN THAT is LAGE EGAL’s downtown exhibition set on what’s to follow. The project space is celebrating its fifth anniversary on May 1st and is gaging its possibilities. Fifteen artists have been encouraged to envision what the future of exhibiting might hold for contemporary art. Using painting, sculpture, time-based media, installation and events as blank pages on which to scribble their next day scenarios for art exhibitions, they test the latter’s potential to tackle the pressing issue of what comes next in the art world.